Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Locrian / Harpoon split on He Who Corrupts INC records

The image above hardly reproduces the embossed letter pressed sleeve, black ink on heavy black card stock. It's split in the middle on the reverse so you open both sides from the center, with both bands titles on either side of the cut, it's a really fitting heavy handmade object for these two ear splitters.Unfamiliar with Harpoon I went to that side first which launches right in with tight speed grindcore...like I really know what that is...screamy evil vocals mixed loud, it's ridiculously complex and fast, could this be sampled and repeated? I doubt it, they are machinelike. But then, wait a minute, everything slows down a minute to work on the heavy side something like Pelican which makes the vocals come off even more evil...a lot of darkness, the faceless amputees/their wretched jubilee...that's an actual lyric. I won't be fucking with those guys anytime soon. The Locrian side opens with a muted sliver of static, probably just the sound of the amps at 11 under the strain of the lines of pedals. Until a guitar heavily distorted and delayed breaks in. It's really epic, accessible even... melodic. They have a great vocal quality here, it's piled under tons of effects, that truly tortured feel, it's far back in an underground prison, echoing off the walls. It's a monstrosity of guitar noise, but really held back, deliberate...concentrated.Andrew Sherer from Velnias is here heavily complicating the drums, but also holding back in all the right places. Even though this has been in the works for a while it sounds like it goes right along with their latest out in March, 'Territories', where they collaborated with a bunch of different noise/metal artists, hope that makes it to vinyl.It gets right to the point, even at 33, they're compressing the epic landscape to the limit on this side.I love the photos they've been including with all their releases, giant overgrown decayed factories, I love those places, I just want to get in there...at night. Completely abandoned. It's what I think Detroit must be like after all the fabricating companies all left. It's almost an alien landscape, you can't imagine what they were like when they functioned, it's like square footage porn for someone from Brooklyn. I would just go squat in that thing and build an ark...or get a generator and have Locrian play.

Get it from HeWhoCorruptsINC records, because sadly this is their last physical release. Haven't they heard? Vinyl is back! I get it, this packaging, the puke swirl off green vinyl, the color insert, they aren't pulling any punches, this is so beautiful it probably emptied the accounts. This just is such a complete package, it's a loss for the object obsessed.

A well executed mash up of two of Chicago’s more notable enterprises of loudness – the long coming Locrian / Harpoon split 7” is finally complete. The vinyl portion of the release includes one song each by both bands. The accompanying digital card provides additional bonus material. This is Harpoon’s first release with a bass player. As well, Locrian collaborates with Andrew Sherer of Velnias. The release is limited to 300 copies on marble green vinyl with full color double sided insert and letter pressed cover. This is our final physical release which has been in the works for quite some time.

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The End

If you're pressing 7" vinyl - you aren't in it for the money. I appreciate it.
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